Written by former Senate education staffer and journalist Alexander Russo, This Week in Education covers education news, policymakers, and trends with a distinctly political edge. (For archives prior to January 2007, please click here. For posts after November 2007, please click here.) Comments on this blog are now closed.

By Alexander Russo March 13, 2007 at 2:39 PM

Morton Kondracke: No Child Left Behind deserves renewal Examiner There’s reason to hope that Congress will reauthorize, extend and improve the landmark 2001 NCLB Act school-accountability law. But, by itself, the federal program is clearly not going to solve America’s education crisis. NCLB Has Flunked Chicago Defender Is the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) working? If it isn't working, will it succeed by the 2014 deadline? The answers to both of these questions, unfortunately, are no. Outside the Beltway View of NCLBAFT Blog It's true that failing an NCLB-mandated tests doesn't necessarily mean a student will be ...

By Alexander Russo March 13, 2007 at 9:48 AM

'In a move intended to send an "unmistakably clear message" to Barstow County High School Principal Robert McCluskey, the school's student council approved by a vote of 22-3 during seventh period Monday a nonbinding resolution criticizing the principal's recent decision to install three extra hall monitors.' From The Onion (High School Student Council Passes Nonbinding Resolution)....

By Alexander Russo March 13, 2007 at 8:35 AM

School District Asks Teachers to Return Pay AP A total of about $75,000 was overpaid because a computer program mistakenly calculated the bonuses of part-time workers. OPRAH'S SCHOOL 'TOO STRICT' News 24.com via EdNews.org The rules at Oprah Winfrey's ultra-posh school at Henley-on-Klip near Johannesburg are apparently so strict they make a reformatory look like a holiday resort. Group To Offer AP Exam Extra Credit: $250 Washington Post The Advanced Placement program has long offered college credit to high school students who show mastery of a subject. Now, a group of educators and business executives plans to ...

By Alexander Russo March 12, 2007 at 4:49 PM

It's all about events this week, I guess. Now the House has a Labor-HHS-Education appropriations hearing scheduled for Wednesday, and -- wowza -- they're having Bob Slavin (ie, the wronged party under Reading First) testify. Should be fun. "The Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on "Federal Funding for the No Child Left Behind Act." Witnesses: Margaret Spellings; secretary of Education; Jack Jennings, president and CEO, Center on Education Policy; Paul Vallas, CEO, the School District of Philadelphia, PA; Jane Babcock, superintendent, Keokuk Community School District, ...

By Alexander Russo March 12, 2007 at 4:40 PM

Uh oh. That's what it sounds like from this letter (PDF) from the big four on the House side. It's basically a call for input from stakeholders. Didn't we do that already? Or doesn't the whole Spellings Commission thing count? If not, I guess I can chuck my Aspen Institute report, too....